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Match Pledge, Match Potential, and Match Pledge Payment Transactions and Data Maintenance

Often, a constituent will be associated with a corporation or foundation that offers to make a donation to your institution that corresponds to the donation that the constituent makes. In Millennium, this situation is generally described as Matching Giving, though the actual Transaction Type will be a Match Pledge or a Match Potential.

When a donation is going to be matched by a corporation or foundation, the system creates a Transaction belonging to the original constituent and another belonging to the corporation or foundation, and automatically creates the appropriate linkage between these Transactions, provided that one of the standard creation techniques is used, as described in this topic. Matching Transactions must be created via the Transaction belonging to the original constituent - they MAY NOT be created by simply accessing the corporation or foundation's display and then choosing a Type of Match Pledge or Match Potential. To do so would not permit the system to create any linkage between the original and the matching Transaction.

Matching Giving may be created at the time that the original is created, or they may be added to an existing transaction after the fact. The original constituent's Transaction may be matched by multiple companies, including those companies with which a spouse is associated (and not the original constituent).

Match Potential or Match Pledge?

When creating a matching transaction, you have the option of creating either a Match Pledge or a Match Potential. Within Millennium, a distinction may be made between the following situations.

A constituent may make a donation and along with the funds, may also send in a matching gift form. Or the corporation or foundation may send in the form or some other positive confirmation, promising to send the payment at a future time. In this case, a Match Pledge Transaction is created for the corporation or foundation.

Alternately, the constituent may make a donation without mentioning the possibility of a matching gift, but your data shows an association with a corporation or foundation that is known to be a Matching Gift company. Since no documentation has been received, rather than a Match Pledge, a Transaction with a Type of Match Potential may be created (there is the potential for a pledge). Then, when confirmation is received, the Match Potential may be changed to a Match Pledge Transaction.

When a Payment is posted against a Match Potential, the system automatically changes the transaction type to Match Pledge. See Transaction Types for more information.

Your system administrator may specify a particular entry from the Tender Types lookup table to be used as the institution-wide default value for the Tender text box in the insert form for Matching Giving transactions. This entry may be edited in the insert form before the data is submitted. The system option is set via the Tools World's System Options page.

User Options

There are several data entry User Options available for the creation of Matching Giving, and you may indicate your preference by User Options > Data Entry from within the Profiles World area of the Millennium Explorer (These same User Options can also be accessed by using My Millennium > User Options > Data Entry).

Do you want the system to automatically suggest Matching Companies or do you want to find Matching Companies for yourself?
Do you want the system to automatically create Match Potential Transactions with your input or simply suggest potential Matching Companies. Or, do you not want the system to search for Matching Companies?
Do you want the system to examine the donor's spouse's Employment records when suggesting Matching Companies (for Pledges or Potentials) or when automatically creating Match Potential Transactions?

System Options

In addition, there are several institution-wide options available for the creation of Matching Giving. Your system administrator indicates your institution's preference via the System Options item in the Tools World area of the Millennium Explorer. These options include:

The default value for the Tender of Matching Gift Transactions
The creation of a Payment Schedule for a Matching Pledge Transaction
Pulling the Matching ratio from the Matching Company or from the Match Through Company

The behavior and instructions for the creation of Matching Giving will vary, depending on the options that you and/or your institution have chosen, and are described in the following instructions.

Match Through

If the matching employer (a constituent, usually a Corporation) has identified another constituent (usually a Foundation) as the 'Match Through' entity via the coremtchid field, AND if you have your user options set to suggest matching companies during giving data entry, AND if the Pull the Matching Ratios from Corporation system option is set to 'No', when you create a Matching Pledge or Match Potential, the system will automatically use the 'Match Through' constituent, and not the matching employer, as the Matching Company. However, the ratio information from the matching employer, not the 'Match Through' constituent, will be used to calculate a default amount for the matching transaction.

If the Pull the Matching Ratios from Corporation system option is set to 'Yes', then the system will use the matching employer as the Matching Company and use the ratio information from the matching employer to calculate a default amount for the matching transaction.

Creating a Match Pledge at the Time that the Original Transaction is Created

If the original constituent's donation is accompanied by a matching gift form from the employer, or some other documentation of a match pledge, you may want to create both Transactions at the same time. If no documentation is received, your institution may choose to create a Match Potential rather than a Match Pledge, for the employer.

To create a Matching Gift Pledge Transaction at the same time that the original constituent's Transaction is created, follow the instructions for a Simple Gift Transaction or other instructions, as the conditions of the donation warrant, but do not click on Insert until completing the following steps.
If you have received confirmation that the corporation or foundation intends to match the donation with a donation of its own, locate the area toward the bottom of the Insert or Default form labeled, Special, and then the Post Match check box within that area. Click to activate the check box.
When all other data appears in the form as you want, click on Insert to create both the original constituent's Transaction and the matching company's Transaction.

OR

Click Cancel to halt the process without creating either Transaction.
The results of clicking Insert in the step above will vary according to the Match Options you have in force at the time (as set in via the User Options).

Option 1: If you have chosen to have the system suggest matching gift companies, the system will create the original constituent's Transaction and then immediately search the database for Employment data with a corporation or foundation that is known to be a matching gift company (as indicated in the constituent's Employment row and in the corporation or foundation's Basic Data). If such data is found for the constituent, a Post Matching Pledge Transaction form will automatically be presented, with certain information filled in by default. The name of the corporation is already in place in the Giver ID text box unless the matching corporation has identified another constituent as a 'Match Through' constituent. The Amount will have been calculated based on the amount of the original Transaction and the Matching Ratio(s) in the Basic Data of the suggested Matching Company. The other data will have been copied into the Insert form from the original Transaction, including all Allocation information.

Option 2: If no such Employment data is found for the constituent, OR if you have activated the No, I will manually find the matching companies, User Match Option, then the system will create the original constituent's Transaction, and then immediately present a Post Matching Pledge Transaction form. This form will have copied most of the data from the original Transaction, including the Amount of the original, but it will have no data in the Giver ID text box. You must identify the company by providing either the ID Number or the name of the company and standard name/id lookup techniques.

Note: If Option 2 is used, the system cannot automatically calculate the amount of the match based on the Basic Data of that company and instead will default to a one to one ratio for the match amount. But, you may edit the Amount as you want in the Insert form.
Once the Post Matching Pledge Transaction form has been presented, you may edit any of the data that appears, or add or delete data from the form as you want. This includes the identity of the Matching Company, but you should note that if the Amount of the matching gift has been calculated by the system and you subsequently change the identity of the Matching Company on the form, the Amount is not re-calculated - what you see is what you will get.

Note that the form will also default to the use of a Multiple Allocation in accordance with the original Transaction. If the original Transaction had multiple Allocations, the Match Pledge form will default to that setting as well. The Multiple Allocation check box will be checked and the information for the primary allocation will be default to the primary allocation of the original transaction. If you leave the Multiple Allocation check box checked when the Match Pledge information is inserted, the system will then prompt for the creation of the second allocation, but the information from the original transaction's second allocation will not be defaulted into this additional allocation form. If the original transaction has three allocations, and you want for the Matching Transaction to also have three, make sure that the Multiple Allocation check box is checked when inserting the second allocation. And if the original transaction has four, then make sure that the Multiple Allocation check box is checked when inserting the Matching Transactions third allocation, and so on.

When all data appears on the Post Matching Pledge form as you want, click on Insert to create the Transaction,

OR

Click Cancel to halt the process. Note that Canceling out of this form does not affect the original constituent's Transaction which has already been created. It only cancels the creation of the Matching Transaction.
If your site has checked the 'Display Matching Payment Schedule' system option, then the system will automatically prompt for the information necessary to create a Payment Schedule. You will automatically be given a pop-up Pledge Information form in which to enter the following details, which will be reflected in the Payment Schedule for this Transaction.
1. Billing Cycle - These standard cycles are taken from the Pledge Types lookup table and for a complete listing and further information, see that topic. Each cycle is represented twice in the list, once with words, No Bill and once without. The No Bill option allows you to flag the entries that will be created in the payment schedule so that no bill or reminder notice will be generated for that scheduled payment.
  
  Locate the pledge billing cycle from the drop down list that most closely approximates the intended cycle for the Pledge Payments. If the billing cycle is to be irregular, select the Special or Special, No Bill item. (Note that once the Payment Schedule has been created, it is still available for further editing, as is the procedure for an irregular or Special Payment schedule.)
  
  If you leave this data box blank, the system will schedule a single payment, equal to the Pledge Amount.
2. # of Payments - This text box is used to enter the total number of anticipated payments that the constituent will make in order to fulfill the pledge commitment.
3. Start Date - The date on which the first Payment may be expected. This information must be entered as yyyy/mm/dd. Note that the payment start day is optional - if it not entered, the start day will default to the first day of the month.
4. Conditional? - This check box is not functional on the Pledge Information Form for Match Pledge Transactions. Match Pledges Transactions will always be conditional pledges.
5. When all of the appropriate data is in place, click on Insert to register the information,
  
  OR
  
  Click Cancel to halt the process without registering any of the Payment schedule information. If you do so, the system will default to show a single payment for the full amount, with no due date in the Payment Schedule.
If the Display Matching Payment Schedule system option is not checked, then the Matching Pledge will default to show a single payment for the full amount, with no due date in the Payment Schedule, and Billable set to 'N'.
If your User Option is set to have the system suggest matching gift companies, and if the original constituent has additional, active Employment rows with matching companies, the system will automatically present another Post Matching Pledge form containing the name of the next company, the calculated Amount, and the other data copied from the original constituent's Transaction. Again, you may edit the data that is presented as you want and either Insert to Create or Cancel to not create additional Matching Transactions. If the above conditions are true, the system will continue this process until no further matching companies are found.
If you have activated the Search Spouse Match User Option, you will also be presented Post Matching Pledge forms for any association that the spouse of the original constituent has with Matching Companies.
Once all Matching Transactions are posted, you will be returned to the original constituent's Giving display.

Creating a Matching Potential at the Time that the Original Transaction is Created

When a donation is received from a constituent without any accompanying documentation concerning a matching gift from an employer, Millennium allows you to search for such a company and if found, create a Match Potential Transaction belonging to that company. Also, if the original constituent's Transaction is a Pledge, then the system will automatically default the Transaction Type of the Matching Transaction to be a Match Potential.

This distinction between a Match Pledge and a Match Potential allows you to treat such Transactions differently if you choose. Some institutions prefer not to create or track Match Potential Transactions at all.

Technique 1

When inserting the original Transaction, check the Post Match check box and continue to follow the same steps described above to create a Match Pledge, but change the transaction Type on the Post Matching Pledge form to Match Potential.

Technique 2

Verify that the match potentials User Option is set to either:
- Prompt me to confirm the potential match before posting
- Automatically post the potential match
Note: If the option is set to Do not post potential matching gifts, then no additional input forms will be presented and no Match Potential transactions will be created.
Follow the instructions for a Simple Gift Transaction, or additional instructions as the conditions of the original donation warrant, but do not click on Insert.
Verify that the Special check box at the bottom of the form labeled Post Match is not checked.
Click Insert to create the original Transaction. The result will be determined by the Match Option that is active.
- If the Prompt me to confirm the potential match before posting option is active, then the system will immediately search for Employment data for the original constituent showing an active, matching gift company. If one is found, you will automatically be presented with a Post Matching Potential form, showing the name of the company and an Amount that has been calculated based on the original constituent's Amount and the Matching Ratios from the Basic Data of the company. In addition, it will contain other data such as the Campaign, Account Number, Solicitation, etc. copied from original Transaction. You may edit the default data on that form or accept it as it is. When all data appears as you want, click on Insert to create the Transaction. If there are additional matching gift companies, the process will be repeated until no more are found. You will be returned to the original constituent's Giving display. If the Search Spouse Matching Option is activated, you will also be presented Post Matching Potential forms for any association that the spouse of the original constituent has with Matching Companies.
- If the Automatically post the potential match option is active, then the system will immediately search for Employment data for the original constituent showing an active, matching gift company. For each that is found, the system will automatically create a Match Potential Transaction, using the Amount that is calculated based on the Amount of the original and the Matching Ratios that are shown in the Basic Data row of matching company. You will not be shown a form, nor will you automatically be shown the display of the Match Potential Transaction. If the Search Spouse Matching Option is activated, the system will automatically create a Match Potential Transaction for any association that the spouse of the original constituent has with Matching Companies. You will be returned to the original constituent's Giving Display. If you want, you may then execute the hyperlink cross reference in the display of the original Transaction in order to view the newly created Match Potentials.

Adding a Matching Pledge or Potential to an Existing Transaction

To create a Matching Pledge or a Match Potential Transaction that is linked to an existing Transaction, access the appropriate Giving display for the original constituent (not the company that will be matching the donation). Locate the specific Transaction that will be matched and pass the mouse pointer over the edit button to its left, and then over the Transactions item in the resulting context menu.
Locate and click on the item, Add Matching Pledge. (Note that this may be done, even if the original Transaction already has other linked Matching Pledges.) You will be given a variation of the Transaction Insert form, labeled Post Matching Pledge.
The first text box, Giver ID, will be blank and you must use standard name lookup techniques to enter either the name or the ID Number of the constituent matching company.
A Search Results page displays, listing the constituent or constituents who match the ID Number or name entered.
1. A constituent will appear in the search results more than one time if he or she has more than one Lookup Name row. Click the Sort by ID and Display Unique List hyperlink to remove duplicate rows from the Search Results display. If you re-sort the search results, the duplicates will display again.
2. Locate the desired constituent and click on the name hyperlink.
3. If the desired constituent is not shown, click the Respecify the Query hyperlink. A Search form displays to allow you to do a broader constituent search.
The Transaction Type list box will allow you to choose either Match Pledge or Match Potential, as appropriate.
Other data text boxes such as Campaign, Solicitation, Account will be automatically be filled with data that has been copied from the original Transaction. This will include the Amount from the original Transaction; the system cannot automatically calculate the amount of the match based on the Basic Data of Matching Company and instead will default to a one to one ratio for the match amount. But, may edit the Amount as you want.

Changing a Match Potential to a Match Pledge

If a Matching Potential Transaction has been created and then documentation is received indicating that the company will make the gift, the Match Potential may be changed to a Match Pledge.

From the appropriate Giving display belonging to the matching company, locate the specific Match Potential Transaction and pass the mouse pointer over the edit button to its left, and then over the Transactions item in the resulting context menu.
Click the item, Make Potential a Pledge. The system will return an Edit form labeled, Make Match Pledge, and showing the data from the Transaction. (Allocation information is not shown in this Edit form - it must be edited using the Edit button adjacent to the specific Allocation.) You may edit the data in any of the text boxes.
When all data appears as you want, click on Update to change the Transaction Type to Match Pledge, and changes to any other data that you may have edited and return to the previous display,

OR

Click Delete to delete the Transaction and all of its Allocations from the database,

OR

Click Cancel to return to the previous display without making any changes to the Match Potential Transaction.

Posting a Match Pledge Payment

When a Payment is received that is to be applied to an existing Matching Pledge Transaction, that Payment Transaction must be created using the Post Matching Pledge Payment form for the Match Pledge Transaction. There are two ways to access this form: from the display of Giving Transactions belonging to the Matching Company, and from the display of the original constituent's Giving Transactions.

Tip: If the company has many Matching Pledge Transactions, you may find it easier to locate the specific Transaction via the individual's display. Both means of access are described below.

From the original constituent's display:

Access the appropriate Giving display for original donor (the individual whose relationship with the matching company triggered the creation of the Matching Transaction) and locate the specific Transaction to which the Match Pledge is linked.
Scroll the display to show the cross reference to the specific Match Pledge Transaction to which the Payment will be posted. It should read, Match Pledge of (ratio) due from (company name). Pass the mouse pointer over the edit button to its immediate left and then over the item, Transactions, in the resulting context menu.
In the resulting cascading menu, click on the Post Matching Gift Payment item. You will be given a Post Matching Pledge Payment form. This form will already contain several "pieces" of information. The Transaction Type is set to Payment and may not be edited, the current day's date is automatically shown for the Effective and Process Dates, the batch number is populated with the current default batch number, if one has been defined, and several other fields will have been copied from the Matching Pledge Transaction. The Given By field defaults to the name of the Match Pledge Transaction's owner, unless the owner matches through another constituent. In this case, the Given By field defaults to the name of the 'Match Through' constituent.
Tab or mouse click to any of the data fields that are available and which you want to edit, and make the necessary changes.
Note the Special check box options shown near the bottom of the form.

The Anonymous, Quid Pro Quo, and Secure check boxes behave as they do in other Giving Data Maintenance forms.

If you choose to use the funds received by the matching company to pay down the company's Matching Pledge and also the original donor's Pledge, check Credit as Payment on Donor's Pledge. The funds will be posted as a Pledge Payment on the Matching Pledge and owned by the Matching Company, and will be posted as a credit, owned by the original transaction's donor, that pays down that donor's pledge as well.
If the Match Pledge Payment donor is not the Match Pledge owner, then the donor will be given a gift transaction that is linked to the original Match Pledge, and the owner of the Match Pledge will be given a credit transaction that is also linked to the Match Pledge, and which reduces the remaining balance of that Match Pledge. The next entry in the Payment Schedule for the Match Pledge (if any) will also be reduced by the amount of the donor's gift transaction. (If the monies received exceed the amount of the next scheduled payment, the excess will be applied to the next Payment in the Schedule.

From the company's display:

Access the appropriate Giving display for the matching company (the corporation or foundation that is making the payment) and locate the specific Match Pledge Transaction. (Verify that the cross reference information shows the name of the correct individual as the "...due for..." constituent).
Pass the mouse pointer over the primary Edit button shown at the top left of the display area for the specific Match Pledge transaction, and then over the item, Transactions, in the resulting context menu.
In the resulting cascading menu, click on the Post Matching Gift Payment item. You will be given an Insert form to use in creating the Payment Transaction. This form will already contain several pieces of information. The Transaction Type is set to Payment and may not be edited, the current day's date is automatically shown for the Effective and Process Dates, the batch number is populated with the current default batch number, if one has been defined, and several other fields will have been copied from the Matching Pledge Transaction. The Given By field defaults to the name of the Match Pledge Transaction's owner, unless the owner matches through another constituent. In this case, the Given By field defaults to the name of the 'Match Through' constituent.
Tab or mouse click to any of the data fields that are available and which you want to edit, and make the necessary changes.
Note the Special check box options shown near the bottom of the form.

The Anonymous, Quid Pro Quo, and Secure check boxes behave as they do in other Giving Data Maintenance forms.

Note: The Credit as Payment on Donor's Pledge option is not available when posting a Match Pledge Payment from the Company's Giving Display.
If the Match Pledge Payment donor is not the Match Pledge owner, then the donor will be given a gift transaction that is linked to the original Match Pledge, and the owner of the Match Pledge will be given a credit transaction that is also linked to the Match Pledge, and which reduces the remaining balance of that Match Pledge. The next entry in the Payment Schedule for the Match Pledge (if any) will also be reduced by the amount of the donor's gift transaction. (If the monies received exceed the amount of the next scheduled payment, the excess will be applied to the next Payment in the Schedule.

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